Earlier this spring, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the first phase of the new $5 billion Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) Program, established by the Inflation Reduction Act. Split into two phases, EPA will first award $250 million in planning grants by formula, and then competitively award $4.6 billion in implementation grants. Under Phase One, EPA will directly award up to $1 million to each of the 67 most populous Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in the country to develop a climate action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their MSA. TBRPC will serve as the lead entity for the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater MSA – the eighteenth largest in the country.
By preparing a climate action plan for the MSA, local governments and TBRPC will be eligible to apply for the $4.6 billion dollars in competitive implementation grants available nationally under Phase Two, which is scheduled to launch in late 2023.The resources available under the CPRG program will provide an unprecedented opportunity to develop and implement strong, local, greenhouse gas reduction strategies that will also advance environmental justice, increase energy security, and improve air quality throughout the region.
Learn more about the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Program.
